Cat and Mouse
by Ezarine Bloom
Summary: AU. Some things always stand in the way of our goals, like men, jealous girls, and high alert security systems. Can Higurashi Kagome make it past all of these, and overcome her past? [Full summary inside. WIP. HOLD]
1. Prologue: A Necessary Collection

**Summary:** Is it a wonder how she never gets caught? The night life is her specialty, especially when she's on the prowl... 23- year-old Kagome Higurashi has spent the last nine years of her life searching for the ultimate steal. But her latest mission of retrieving two of the rarest jewels, the Hope Diamond and the Star of the East, has led her to uncover a dark secret, tied to a confidential file in a warehouse/government base. Now, the secret she has uncovered must be kept and protected while turning away from her life's mission, in order to save the people she cares about most. The devious, dark dealings and the uncovering of her now-needed secret identities are a must avoid.

**General Disclaimer:** I don't own InuYasha.

**A/N:** I hope this suits you guys, whoever is reading this. I can say that this prologue is probably extremely boring, but the end makes it worthwhile. It was necessary to write this or I wouldn't have found the place to start off the first chapter. I hope this is enjoyed!

_Eh.. you may skip this if you wish, but you may become confused in some parts later..._

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**Prologue: A Necessary Collection**

The lone figure stood silently, watching as the sun set and the moon rose high. It turned its head downward at the quiet jingle of keys turning in a lock; it was closing time. Far down below, it watched as a security guard locked the door and walked at a steady pace to a nearby beat up '81 Chevrolet Impala and slowly climb in. It turned its attention back down to the entrance doors as the man drove off into the darkened roads. Crouching down, it listened for the sounds of activity emanating from the building.

It was time to act.

Standing up swiftly, the person reached up to its head and pulled on a string, releasing the previously confined shock of midnight-black hair. Pulling down the bandana once covering its eyes, the figure replaced it with a simple yet elegant eye mask. Stretching its arms stiffly above its head, its hair blew around with the slight breeze, showing off the figure of a young woman. She cracked her neck and gracefully stepped onto the ledge of the building's roof. Reaching into one of the small pouches at her waist and pulling out an object akin to a gun, she slowly lifted her arms in alignment with her vision. _This is too easy; just like archery…_

Pulling on the trigger, a grappling hook shot out of the barrel. It sailed silently across the street-way and clamped onto the roof entrance of the office building. _Phase one: complete…_ Releasing the remaining rope from the barrel, the young woman moved to tie it around a pole that was stabbed through the roof of the warehouse. After the rope was secure, she walked back to the ledge and jumped off, grabbing the rope and swinging downward before swinging effortlessly back up and landing in a perch. Standing without a care in the world, the young woman turned to walk the rope along the expanse of road-width. _Phase two: complete_, she chanted silently as she moved across.

Upon reaching mere feet away from the edge of the office building, she took off into a light sprint and leapt up to do an air-somersault, landing on the roof of the office. _Phase three: a breeze…_

Without a word, the woman moved toward the roof entrance, her cat suit making no sound. She stopped when she saw the card key lock, and paused to think carefully. With a sly smile plastered onto her face, she reached down into the belt around her waist in another pouch, this time one smaller than the one which had been holding her clamp gun. In a movement of victory, she pulled out a card key attached to a wired cord and keypad. Sliding the card key into the slot, she let it rest in the center and began fervently typing in codes. Three tries later, a discreet beeping sound could be heard. _Phase four: complete!_ She thought with a smile.

The girl stood up straight and slid the equipment back into her belt as the metal sliding door opened. Stealthily running inside, she traveled down hallways, turning corners left and right. Stopping at a four-way intersection suddenly, she whipped out a small hand-held device. _Really… all of my equipment is starting to look the same! My digital hand-held map looks just like my palm pilot…_ She found her location, found her destination, and quickly put it away before taking off at a steady sprint around the right corner. Making another right and then two lefts, the young woman came to an abrupt halt at a metal door with some intricate blue design engraved in it.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at their idiocy. Could they make it any more obvious to her goal?

Turning to stare blankly at the key code pad next to the door, she thought of other faster ways to break it. Her skills with her code scanner weren't fast enough for her tastes. She needed to get the job done as soon as possible; but she didn't have time to find an alternate device in all her gear, so she grabbed her code scanner and slid the faux key into the slot and began typing. Two tries this time was all it took to get the door to open, and the woman silently praised her skills.

Now she knew this was where it would get tough. There were security cameras stationed everywhere, and in areas lacking in cameras, there were tough-looking guards replacing them. It wouldn't stop her though. She needed to get that jewel; it was her primary goal, but she also wanted the other. It was just too rare to pass up.

The Hope Diamond…

And it's accomplice, the Star of the East.

When she was younger, approximately seven years ago, she had gone after those two rare gems. Unfortunately, she had screwed up royally; she let the police get on her trail. She had almost gotten to the jewels when she had set off an alarm that she hadn't noticed and deactivated. She had to leave them in their broken cases and escape before she was caught. Luckily, she knew what she was doing, and there was no trace when she left.

So the location of the jewels had been secretly moved to this location, and they were replaced by fakes. She had thought it was so simple, but there were inaccessible files on the jewels in the office's mainframe, and upon her searching she found a restricted file that she managed to break open. That file contained so much valuable information on major competing businesses and illicit corporations that she couldn't turn down. Now she was going all out tonight.

Sneaking past the guards and cameras, the young woman finally made her way to the vault in the center of a bare, infrared-secured room. She quickly stuffed her code scanner back into her pouch again and crouched low, bracing her hands on either side of her on the floor. In less than a second she launched her body upwards into a frontal somersault and landed effortlessly on her right foot. Without hesitation, she did three more in the direction of the vault, avoiding the infrared beams easily.

The young woman went straight to work on the vault door, taking out a diamond-cutting knife as well as a glass-cutting knife. When she couldn't find one of her decoders, she began digging determinedly; when she found it, she 'eep'ed in happiness. She was just too close.

Working on the vault door, and then patiently the glass vault, she silently prayed to God that she wouldn't screw up. She couldn't afford to; she needed these in her collection. A slight squeal of triumph was released when she successfully got through the small diamond vault surrounding the two accessories.

With her black-gloved hands she reached in and pulled out the necklaces that would become her most treasured possessions, wrapped them in cellophane wrap and pushed them gently inside one of the belt's pouches. Digging through another pouch, she pulled out a bright red rose in full bloom. _Perfect._ She laid it down inside the vault's innermost chamber and left the door open.

Her job was done…

Now all she had to do was get out _with_ her jewels. Standing up, she retraced her actions, flipping over the infrareds laying three inches above the steel floor. Once out of the vault room, the young woman moved back through the halls in record time. Pushing the release button, the sliding titanium steel door allowed her pass back onto the roof, and she swung up onto the rope that had been her means of crossing over.

Taking giant leaps across the metal rope, the woman almost lost her footing. She managed to grab the rope before she passed out of grabbing range and swung back up in a perch. She huffed loudly, trying to catch her quickly steadying breath. Standing for the umpteenth time, the girl finished off in two bounds, leaping off and doing another of her somersaults to land on the warehouse roof where she had begun. Grabbing onto the base of the metal pole embedded into the roof that held one end of the metal rope, she yanked until the roof crumbled and the pole came out. Giving a tug on the metallic rope which was still attached to the office roof entrance across the street, it came flying back with a snap and she caught it deftly in her hand.

When everything was put away securely, she sprinted across the warehouse roof and leapt over alleyways, somersaulting, and catapulting to escape to safety in the dark of night. When she reached the roofs of buildings in the center of the city, she crouched down to rest. It had been a long day…

Making one last leap, the young woman slid through an open window to a large and spacious living room, decorated lavishly. She unclipped her belt and backpack, letting them fall precariously to the floor. Pulling off the eye mask, she tossed it onto the long, rounded beige sofa as she moved toward it to seat herself. As she propped her feet up on the coffee table and leaned her head back, a ringing sound went off. Startled, the woman looked up and at a nearby light stand table where an inconspicuous silver flip phone sat.

She ran over to it to answer it, flipping it open and saying hello. Quickly her expression changed from bored and exasperated to slightly pleasant and exasperated.

"Yes, InuYasha… no I just got in. I know and I'm sorry I couldn't come with you tonight, but you had Miroku and Sango with you…" She paused to listen to his ranting.

"I was at a club myself. I just didn't feel like going with you guys! It never hurts to go out on my own every once in a while! Stop being so stubborn…" She began pacing after the young man, InuYasha, said something.

"W-what… club was I at? The Elite. You… went there? Well obviously you wouldn't have seen me; I was in one of their private back rooms with a friend…"

"Don't give me that shit! You _know_ I'm not like that! This accusation isn't fair! It's late InuYasha; I don't want to discuss this now. I'll talk to you tomorrow afternoon… Okay, good night, InuYasha…"

With that she hung up, placed the phone back on the side table and walked to pick up her bags before walking away.

**C&M**

In a building mere streets away, sat the figure of a young man on a plush, red bed. Moonlight was cast through the window into the darkened room, illuminating the silver hair and adding an ethereal glow to his amber-gold eyes. He glared resolutely down into the cordless phone he held, silently cursing himself. He still hadn't figured out why she went out some nights partying with him and their two friends, but on other nights would go out on her own. She was a mystery to him.

"Kagome…"

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**A/N:** Tell me what you think. 


	2. I: Fate's Hand Lays Upon Us All

**Chapter I: Fate's Hand Lays Upon Us All**

Kagome Higurashi knew that she was safe the moment she woke up. It wasn't that something always went wrong when she was asleep, but that if the government wanted or tried to catch her, it would have to be while she was out cold. The young woman smiled coyly to herself. It was certainly good to be alive.

She shifted off of the bed and grabbed the kimono that served as her make-shift robe. It was good to be a thief too, what with all of these perfect things helping preserve her luxurious lifestyle. A silken kimono, said to be an heirloom, serving as her house robe. _Who'dathunkit?_ She tied the sash on and stared at herself in her full-length mirror before grinning widely.

_Who do I play today?_ She thought as she scanned her closet. There were outfits galore; a preppie girl's paradise, full of gowns worth thousands, and outfits like a woman's police suit. _Forget dress up. I want a normal day_, she thought glumly. Not many of those normal days were gift-wrapped for her.

When the young woman snapped out of her daze, she moved onto her armoire. It had piles and piles of 'normal' clothes. Every month she added at least one new piece of clothing to its contents just for kicks. It was the luxury she carried with her multiple jobs. Kagome grabbed her favorite pair of blue jeans, a long sleeved white T-shirt and a black spaghetti-strapped shirt, and undergarments before trotting off to the bathroom. _Maybe today will be normal..._

As the steaming water rushed across her skin, she gasped in surprise. It was always refreshing to have her skin purged of dirt and grime and today was no exception. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the tiled wall of the shower, letting the water hit her back and turn the pale flesh pink. She knew her body was tired still even though it was already around one o'clock.

After shampooing and conditioning her black hair, the woman turned off the water and wrapped herself in a towel. She was thinking on how to apologize to Miroku and Sango for ditching them. The excuses that she knew she could play off well had already been used too many times. They would not be happy with her, and because of that, she was sorry.

The twenty-three year-old slipped on her clothes and walked out of the bathroom, ignoring her disheveled hair in favor of making a cup of tea and eating some leftover oden. She smiled and danced giddily, swishing her messy hair as she spun in a circle. It _was_ good to be alive.Just then the land phone rang.

"Hello?" She answered breathless from running into the living room from the kitchen. "Hey Miro-kun."

"**Hey Kags. Are you coming to the club tonight. My opening act is great**," Miroku replied in a dazed tone.

"Yeah, I am. I'm not busy tonight, so- "

"**InuYasha said that you were at the Elite last night doing it with some guy. Now, I'm not saying anything since I know you're not like that, but he seems hell-bent on the idea**." He listened as she groaned into the phone.

"That's just wrong Miroku. Tell Inu that he needs to do something more productive with his life than guard me like the "Inu-chan" he is. He's warding off all potential boyfriends..."

"**Oh, I know. And it's so funny to watch. Like the time Inu waited for you at your door and saw you come back with that Kouga guy. Man, that kicked ass**, " he laughed into the phone. Kagome growled in response.

"Well yeah. Anyway, I'll be there. Are you opening the place early? I can get there early and hold down the front if you want," she sighed. Bar work was always tough.

One time a guy had gotten so drunk without Kagome's notice that he came around to the other side of the counter and groped her. It wasn't too pleasant, and she ended up whacking the guy on the head and having Alex and Aaron throw him out. Alex and Aaron were the 'guard dogs'. He was banned, she recalled pleasantly, with a small smile.

"**If you want. No one ever makes you, and yet you're the one that always gets the most tips... and the biggest, might I add**," he sighed. His workers didn't get paid as much _daily_ as she got in tips in one hour- and his workers got paid _a lot _daily. How pathetic...

"Well then I'll come in just for the fun of it. My special will be Three Wise Men tonight, so you can write that on the chalkboard." Kagome giggled. The name of the drink was just so funny sometimes.

"**Didn't you do that last month? Please do something new... and if you could add in some of your tricks?**" Miroku pleaded.

The young woman just laughed. "You should be really thankful I found that How To Be A Bartender book, Miro-kun. I'll tell you what I've decided when I get there. Now I have some work to do, so I've got to go. Tell Sango to meet me at the mall for so friend time at 2 PM."

The young man laughed and conceded defeat before saying goodbye and hanging up. She sighed. Her life was full of twists and turns. Why couldn't she have chosen a single, well- paid, legal job? Instead, she had two illegal jobs, three under-paid legal ones, and one sufficient-paying legal job. She walked away from the phone to move over toward one of the living room walls lined with large paintings. She gave a small smirk to herself- this was her game. Laid out right in front of her and easy to only the trained.

Only once had someone tried to break into her penthouse. They succeeded but when they went to go for her valuables, no one had told them about her game. Apparently, their sources had been misinformed of her home's layout. What a shame, no? So she had woken up, beat the crap out of them and called the cops saying the men had been intent on taking everything valuable in the penthouse including her beautiful and pure body. And, oh boy, she let the tears fall, playing off of the police's sympathy for innocent young women. They got ten years in prison, and the press had a field day.

She shook her head to dispel the memories. No need to dwell, right? The past was the past. She walked over to a large painting of colourful amaryllises- red and white petalled, purple, pink and yellow petalled. This was her favourite. _Mother's favourite too..._ She bent down and pressed a small clear and almost invisible circle residing in the wall in the center between the frame corners.

_My game..._

A smile flitted across her features when an almost non-existent click was heard. She stood up and moved to the next painting of various-coloured calla lilies. She repeated the same action with the first painting and waited for the soft click before moving on. The next painting in her game was her father's favourite. _Daddy..._

As she stared at the hibiscus in the painting, she remembered her one favourite moment with him. _Delicate Beauty- that's what he always called Momma._ _They were meant for each other. I hope they're okay in Heaven... _

**C&M**

"_Daddy?" A six-year-old Kagome looked up at the tall intimidating figure of her father._

"_Yes, angel?" _

_They were walking through the park and he was taking her to his favorite place. Rikou hadn't been home much in the past two years and today he was making it up to her. Momma was at home caring for baby Souta while they had Father-Daughter day._

"_What's your favourite flower?"_

"_Mine?" He asked shocked. "My favorite flower? Well... it's the hibiscus. It's really pretty. Have you ever seen those Hawaiian flowers?" The little girl nodded vigorously with a wide smile. "Well that's a hibiscus. The meaning of them is 'Delicate Beauty'. Your Mom was called that in highschool..."_

_Kagome looked up, curiosity shining in her eyes. "Why does the flower have a meaning?"_

_Mr. Higurashi gave her a small smile and didn't say anything for a few minutes. He_ _held her hand tighter when she tripped and almost fell. "Well... It's called the Language of Flowers and- "_

"_Flowers can talk?" She started jumping up and down. "I knew they could, I knew they could!"_

"_No, no. Not really. But that's what we call their meanings," he looked down at her confused face. "I'll explain it when you're older. In about three years. You're so smart, you'll probably be in college by then, won't you?" The black-haired girl shook her head 'no'. " Look, Kagome, we're here."_

_She swivelled her head in the direction he was pointing, and not but seven feet away was a beautiful little pond in a clearing surrounded by trees. Park benches lined the concrete path surrounding the pond edges and ducks and lilies floated on the surface while a small silver and orange koi jumped out of the water. Kagome gasped in awe and covered her mouth with her fingers. _

"_Daddy it's so pretty!" She gushed out happily. _

"_Well I'm glad you like it. It's ours- your mom's and my- favourite spot. We wouldn't trade it for the world..." He sighed happily and let go of her hand. "Go look at the fish. Then we'll go get ice cream and go to the fairgrounds."_

_She ran off to circle the pond after leaving an 'okay!' to carry back to her father on the wind. He watched on as a little boy with blackish-brown hair and brown eyes walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek. Mr. Higurashi always knew boys would go after her. She'd be the best catch of all, since her mother was already taken, of course. He chuckled before his pager beeped at him. He sighed and grabbed his cell phone, speed dialing._

"_I'm on my day off and I'm with my daughter for the first time in two years. Don't page me anymore today!" He hissed before waiting for the response._

"_No. Fine, report me. I don't care. My family's more important to me. Goodbye." With that he hung up not waiting._

"_Daddy, that boy, Kohaku, said he loves me. What do I do?" Kagome asked when she ran over to him._

"_Tell him he can't marry you until you're older. And he can date you in third grade."_

"_Okay!" And she ran off to tell the little boy. He smiled sadly. With his job, who knew if he'd still be alive to see his little girl's wedding..._

_When they left the park, they headed to the fairgrounds and ate ice cream while he tried to win her stuffed animals. Everyone cooed in delight seeing the six-year-old girl with pigtails running around happily with her dad while holding a large stuffed giraffe as well as a black and white cow and a little yellow duck._

_At home during dinner, they related the tale to Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome handed the duck to Souta who was in his baby seat. _

"_Say 'ducky', Souta. Say 'ducky'," Kagome insisted. _

_Souta gurgled back and a few seconds later, a sloppy-sounding 'ducky' came forth. Everyone cheered in response, then cleared up the dishes. _

_When Kagome was tucked in by her father, she tugged on his dress shirt sleeve. "Thank you for today, Daddy. It was really fun."_

"_No problem, angel. We'll do it again soon, I promise." He bent down to give her a kiss on the forehead and walked quietly out of the room, closing the door and encasing the room in darkness. _

_It brought a comfort that she would come to love..._

**C&M**

Kagome continued to press theinvisible buttons beneath the paintings and stood up slowly when she had pressed the last one. She had forgotten to stuff the Hope Diamond and the Star of the East into their respected cases in the vault last night. She was too tired.She swung the middle most painting to the side and typed in her code on the pad before having her hand scanned for fingerprints.

This machine was the most high-tech thing she knew how to work and it was built by her best friend's younger brother, Kohaku. He was a technical whiz-kid and prodigy, and had declared he loved her that day at the pond. He was her favorite person in the whole world- not counting her parents- and he was only nine months older than her. _Yet younger than his sister, who's my best friend..._ she grumbled mentally. Sango didn't know that he had built this, full-well knowing what was encased inside. She would have slaughtered them both, but that was part of their jobs. They had agreed to that when they saw each other in the preschool room less than two weeks later for the start of the school year.

_I started early..._

When the jewels were safely stored away she swung the vault door closed and replaced the painting against the wall. She leaned against the space of wall between the paintings and closed her eyes. Now all she had to do was check out that file she had picked up in the database room and scan through those websites listed on the first page she had seen. They looked suspicious; and as all suspicious things turn out bad, she knew she'd need to figure them out. _That date... at the top of the page..._ It had something to do with it, she knew. _Not now though... It couldn't be _that _important, could it?_ It wasn't part of her job, so she didn't give a flip.

"Time for best friend bondage! Shopping!" Kagome sang out in her best voice- alto soprano. She grabbed her purse and hat and raced out to the car, ready to get her shop on.

**C&M**

In a dark room of a skyscraper, behind a marble desk, sat a long-haired figure, waiting for the latest reports of his minions. He smirked in delight when his most trusted- _No.. important_- worker pushed open the office door. He looked to be about twenty-five with dark hair and mischievous near- emerald eyes, broad shoulders and in fit-condition if he ever needed to fight.

"What have you got for me today, Izuchi?" The shadowed figured purred out, opening one eye to peer questioningly at his employee.

"Well, sir... Um... Last night... at the warehouse that was mentioned in the last de-briefing was broken into. I posed as an investigator and took a look at the scene. The jewels are gone and in it's place was this..." The young man with black hair and ocean-coloured eyes walked forward slowly as he pulled out a slightly wilted rose in full bloom. He set the rose on the desk. "You know who this is, right, sir?"

"Yes, I do, Izuchi. You're dismissed for now. I'll call you in if I want you to do something."

The young man nodded and backed away, slipping quietly out of the room.

The figure at the desk chuckled darkly sneering and closing his eyes, leaning back in the plush office chair. "You... my little cat. I'll find you. The past always meets present..."

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**A/N:** Review and my bunny named Momiji will be happy. 


	3. II: Reminiscing Hurts

**Chapter II: Reminiscing Hurts **

"Sango, did Miroku, by any chance, tell you what tonight's opening act was?" Kagome asked.

The two women were walking down the sidewalk of the shopping district which lay right on the outskirts of the 'red-light' district. They had just left one of their favorite stores, Gekkani, and were worn out from shopping for the past three and a half hours.

"No, he didn't, but he did say it was great. Knowing him... that means something perverted," Sango scoffed out.

"Yeah. Hey, since it's getting kind of late, do you want to get an early dinner and head over to the red-light?"

Sango thought for a minute, before responding. "Sure. Hidama is five buildings down," she commented looking up at the passing store's name sign. "We can get a good quick meal there."

Kagome nodded in agreement before they set off, laughing at pointless jokes and Miroku's perverted ways. As they stopped in front of Hidama to wait for the host, Kuroi, Sango commented on Miroku's taste in food compared to their favorite restaurant. The younger girl giggled, clutching her sides to hold in the laughter.

They stopped their chatting when, instead of Kuroi, the twenty-seven year old restaurant owner came out, surprising Kagome. Without saying anything, he walked up and embraced her. The young woman stood paralyzed from shock while she received a completely unwanted hug.

Why was he here? He never came to this restaurant in the shopping center; he either worked from his home or at the other seven restaurants in the country. She had never been unfortunate enough to see him at this restaurant. Her thoughts blew away when, after a silent one minute hug, her _friend_ whispered in her ear.

"It's good to see you again, Kagome," he purred out seductively, his warm breath puffing against her ear and neck. The man inwardly smiled when she shivered.

"Ryuuza... What- why are you at this restaurant? Don't you avoid this one usually?" Kagome inquired shakily. He still affected her after all these years...

The young man, Ryuuza pulled away. "It's good of you two beautiful young women to eat here." he paused when he saw the other girl blush scarlet and Kagome's cheeks drain of colour. "I'll show you two to your seats. Kuroi told me that you, Kagome, have an officially reserved table, correct?"

Kagome stiffened and nodded her head once, looking back at Sango who was holding in her laughter. They both turned their heads back when Ryuuza moved to the host's podium and grabbed two menus. "Come on, ladies. Your table awaits," he cheered.

They followed him quietly to the side-wall booth and sat down on their respected sides. Kagome expected to wait before talking to Sango, but the owner didn't leave. Instead he stared down at Kagome's face without blinking for nearly a minute. Then, suddenly, he grinned broadly and sat down on the edge of the seat next to Kagome, and she squirmed when he scooted her over gently for more room.

"Um, I have to use the ladies room. Please excuse me," Kagome blurted out suddenly.

Ryuuza moved so she could pass, and Sango stared after her friend's retreating back, following her out of sight. When she looked over at the young man, she was surprised to see him hanging his head like a little boy put in 'time-out'.

Sango hesitated before asking, "I don't know you, but... do you want to tell me what's wrong?" When the male looked like he was going to protest, Sango continued. "I know it's about Kagome..."

He sighed. "Yeah, but it's a long story-"

"I doubt Kagome will be coming out anytime soon. Start where ever you want."

He sighed again before starting.

**C&M**

Kagome took a deep breath; she hadn't seen Ryuuza in a long time- and 'long time' was an understatement. Four years was a long time, and obviously, after all that time the chain-restaurant owner was still single. _It's definitely not because he's repulsive..._ He wasn't over what had happened seven years ago just as much as she wasn't. She leaned forward onto the restroom's sink counter and closed her eyes.

What had happened that fall night was completely accidental, and if she had taken a sip of that spiked punch, she would have regretted the rest of her life, in the future not having the energy and attitude left in her to do her special night job away from her unknowing friends. She wasn't so sure if they would turn on her for her illegal work; and if Sango found out about Kohaku- Kagome shuddered.

Ryuuza was extremely nice but she had turned him down when he asked her to dance. She could smell the alcohol on his breath and knew instantly that accepting his offer to dance would lead to something more, but she didn't know that _not _accepting would lead to something just as bad. Kagome opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror.

InuYasha had offered as many apologies as he could dish out; which was saying a lot. Her Inu-chan never said 'sorry' to anyone for any reason, and for that she was grateful. He was her best friend since that day in elementary school when he apologized for pulling on one of her pigtails. She was so happy and she had hugged him, and all he could do was sputter and blush. They got to know each other after that; she met Miroku soon after and she had introduced the boys to Sango, since she had met Sango through Kohaku.

But she wasn't happy with InuYasha that night she was dragged out of her house to go to a college party.

She was only a sophomore in high school and InuYasha was a senior. Kagome had refused and tried to pull her wrist out of her older friend's grasp saying that her mom would get mad; her mom had been gone for that weekend. InuYasha's only response was saying if he 'fuckin' had to go, then she did too.' Apparently Sesshoumaru said he would beat InuYasha up and leave him for dead in a rural Oklahoma city alleyway if he didn't attend. He had offered to let the boy choose to bring a friend and apparently she had been a better choice than Miroku.

At the party nothing went right from the moment she walked into the hosting house. A college guy had walked past, obviously drunk on the bottle of liquor he held in his hand, and groped her before smacking her butt and walking off. She had gotten so frustrated that whacking InuYasha on the back of the head felt like the only thing she could do.

Later that night, she had to go to the bathroom and had passed a secluded area in the back of the house. A small side area was across the hallway to the bathroom and by the vertical window was a slumped figure staring listlessly out the illuminated glass. She could tell the young college man had been upset about something and she felt the need to help so Kagome had walked over quietly and sat down, waiting for him to acknowledge her. He did after a few short minutes.

**C&M**

"_Some things in life never go as planned, and we figure out our destinies were something completely different than what we wanted," he paused and she waited; she knew he had more to say. "It's not always about what we want but what we need and what we have to offer the world around us._

"_We never really think about what we're saying or doing to other people around us. It, purposefully or not, will hurt someone, somewhere, some time. And every hard glance we carelessly give, every stiff word we shamelessly strew, will cut a scar into the flesh of those around us. And so no one can ever have a happy ending, because, in the end... someone will get hurt. _

"_I did that earlier today..." With that statement she knew he was finished talking. _

_She understood what he was saying all in all, but she didn't want to respond. He was obviously drunk, but for a completely different reason than all of the others at the party. If she said the wrong thing, he might snap at her and she'd be the only one to feel the repercussions- why? Because she wouldn't have the heart to tell anyone the reason for her pain. _

_It was all bottled up, just like this young man's in front of her._

_Kagome took a deep breath and opened her mouth after a while of staring out the same window as him. "Sometimes our destinies are meant to hurt other people." _

_And that was all it took. He had stood up so quickly she thought he would collapse on the floor. He crouched down in front of her and asked her to dance in one of the most sultry voices she had ever heard; but she wasn't tempted easily as she wasn't a girl naturally born with an obsession with worldly goals. _

When she said 'no thanks' to him, his face had scrunched up in a mix of anger and confusion. Kagome sighed, remembering that look. He grabbed her before she could protest and dragged her into one of the far back bedrooms, never loosening his vice-like grip on her arm. She had pushed her feet into the ground to slow his pace like she had done earlier with InuYasha, but unfortunately he had been three times stronger- college guys that looked like him obviously knew they were meant for the gym.

Ryuuza had shut the door after shoving her into the room, blocking her way out. When he advanced, she used one of the techniques her jujitsu master had taught her and made a bee line for the door. She wasn't as fast as he was when he followed her out and pinned her to the ground. His lean and chiseled body pressing against hers excited her and scared her to no end, and she had wiggled in fear of submission.

Kagome wouldn't back down for crap.

But he knew that, and at the time he wouldn't back down either.

She had screamed out: "I thought guys were supposed to be slow and stupid when they got drunk, not faster than light and as buff as the hulk!"

He had only laughed and told her he wasn't completely drunk and he that he _was_ slow and he _was_ weakened by the alcohol. Kagome could only gape while squished to the plush carpet. Before he could move her back toward the bedroom not twenty feet away, InuYasha appeared down the corridor, an eerie light casting a glow and making him appear like an angel with a temper.

"_Get the hell offa Kagome, you retard!" InuYasha shouted out, running over and kicking Ryuuza in the upper chest. _

Kagome thought that should have hurt him so much more, but in his inebriated state, the young man didn't care.

And that's when the young college man learned her name- everything that followed led to something unexpected.

"_Stay the fuck away from Kagome or you'll wish you were dead!" InuYasha picked up the strangely quiet Kagome and carried her off down the hallway while the drunken young man sat in the corridor for a few minutes._

_When he appeared in the living room, a large group of people turned to face him and watched his every move. He stared listlessly back while a tall lithe man walked toward him away from the crowd. They stood face to face in the center- more or less- of the living room._

"_You have done harm to one under my protection Ryuuza. You will do well to stay away from Kagome Higurashi for the rest of your life. The authorities will _not_ be contacted for I can do much worse," the baritone voice spoke. "You are warned."_

That was Sesshoumaru for ya. Always so direct and discreetly threatening...

"_Kagome... Higurashi," his voice drifted in the air and carried over to said girl._

He had learned her name.

And if he was strong enough and fast enough with alcohol in his system, she had known that he would remember it.

Forever.

And forever seemed to have come, she thought as she blinked at her reflection in the mirror. It was.. okay after he was no longer buzzed on the alcohol but she was still afraid. That was the first time it happened and it hadn't been the last. InuYasha was her savior, and that's why she loved him; why she was _in love with him_.

Too bad her job required her not having much of a love life or social life. Her poor friends. The only thing she could do was really go shopping or go clubbing at night, checking Miroku's competition or just for the fun of it. ...Clubbing was fun...

But Ryuuza was here. Not in the bathroom, but in the restaurant. He had a right, of course, but she had never seen him at this particular one, and his business had prevented him from contacting her discreetly like he had that time four years ago.. Or that time right after the party at school.

He had pretended to be a relative of hers to get into her school and see her, skipping his college classes to.. apologize.. as well as other things. She turned around so her lower back was resting on the sink counter. That had been embarrassing to no end. She was tormented for weeks with questions of schoolmates wondering why 'such a hot guy would see Kagome at school'; and it wasn't that she wasn't pretty- she knew she was pretty, but that most everyone knew that Kagome didn't have any relatives that looked like _him_ alive... or ever for that matter.

Ryuuza had a strangely natural golden brown hair down to his waist plaited into a precise braid, intermingled with natural grey highlights. His eyes, too, showed he couldn't be related to her; they were a greenish-brown. Most Higurashis had blue eyes, with the exception of the few with brown. Blue had once been her family's recessive gene, but brown took it's place.

So he had found out where she lived, where she had her part-time job, and where she went to school. Oh, yes, and which bedroom was hers in the shrine she lived in. He was like a stalker, yet he was only trying to apologize to her; and she hadn't listened of course, which led to him knowing almost everything about her.

Even the last thing her father had said to her before he'd gone off to work and gotten killed...

"_Angel, keep Souta safe again today. I'll be home late tonight."_

And he hadn't said her name.

Kagome leaned her chin on her chest for a few seconds before lifting her head and looking up, then rolling her head to get the kinks out. Reminiscing hurt.

"Well it's time to get back out there and face him. Undoubtedly Sango and Ryuuza have been talking..."Kagome whispered to herself.

She moved to turn and wash her hands when she saw a spider on one of the restroom walls. She shivered unconsciously; she hated spiders. Seeing them left a cold feeling on her heart and made her wish them all out of existence. Reminiscing hurt.

Washing her hands, she left the bathroom intent to let all of her memories floating in the stale air of the tiled room. No one would know but those who were at the party. Some didn't even know. Everything was in the past and the wind could not speak; it would forever hold its peace carrying her whispers in the wind.

**C&M**

Sango was sitting at the table by herself, waiting patiently while occasionally taking a sip of what looked like a piña colada. The little yellow umbrella was included. She walked over and sat down, wondering silently where the menus were. After a few minutes of silence, Sango spoke up in a calm and even voice.

"When you didn't pop back out after ten minutes, I ordered. I got you Katsudon Tonkatsu Domburi and I ordered Unadon Unagi Domburi, since you don't like eel. I hope that's all right," she said in fashion.

"Oh that's fine, Sango. How long was I gone if you ordered after I was gone for ten minutes?"

"Fifteen or so, but that's okay. I asked Ryuuza-san when he created his chain of restaurants and he said when he found out you liked oden. Isn't that funny?" Sango didn't tell her what they had been talking about in the beginning of their conversation; it would cost her life if Kagome knew.

...but Kagome did know...

The woman across from the twenty-five year old didn't say anything for a few moments, in deep thought. "I... see," she mumbled out slowly.

"Yup. Ah, the food's here!" Sango clapped her hands when she saw a waiter headed over with the Katsudon and Unadon. "Oh... I forgot I ordered two dishes of Yakitori- one for each of us. I can pay for them if it's too much," the older woman gushed out, hoping to appease her friend from her youthful wrath.

Kagome giggled slightly seeing the pleading look on her friend's face. "It's perfectly fine. I have a load of money left from my last job shift," she said vaguely. "I can pay for everything, including that piña colada sitting oh-so-innocently in front of you."

"How do-"

"I'm not stupid. I know what one looks like from a mile away. Okay, not a mile, but you get the point. I do bartending for fun, remember?" Kagome leaned in with a serious look on her face, and a conspiratorial glint in her eyes. Then suddenly she broke out into cackling laughter.

They finished off their meals and around six thirty the women were headed back into the center of the shopping district to march over to the red-light to do the usual routine.

"I think I'll turn Alex and Aaron into my personal bodyguards. They're strong and cute... I wouldn't mind that, but you must wonder... why are two Americans working in the red-light of Japan," Sango commented.

The younger woman already knew; she had done a background check on them. They were step cousins whose family had been bombed at a family reunion. The young men had apparently gone off to party at a friend's house that night and were later called saying bodies needed to be identified and such. They were put into the witness protection program and sent here because it was thought they would be hunted for later.

Despite their love for alcohol as much as the veterans of Kin no Hebi, Miroku's club, they were very sweet and generous and definitely not lechers like Miroku. It was good that chivalry wasn't dead among modern men. Especially good-looking modern men.

"We'll never know unless we ask, but I'm afraid to."

**C&M**

Standing in front of the club, Kagome stared blankly at the chalkboard that served as the special menu. She couldn't believe Miroku! He was such an idiot; thinking that just because the usuals knew her, he could flaunt that she was serving that night- and even posting a different special! How rude!

1-900-FUK-MEUP...

She didn't like when guys ordered those because it usually had a double meaning. Kagome shuddered at the thought. That was the drink that guy had ordered repeatedly before going around the counter to grope her. _Eww..._

Sango stood next to her friend waiting patiently. It was better to let Kagome go in first. She was shy around Miroku despite her slightly flirtatious attitude around other males. When Kagome moved, it was all a quick blur. The girl had just run into the two story club at what appeared as the speed of sound! Maybe she was mad at the chalkboard?

Just then she decided to see what the board said and froze. Kagome hated that drink! She would rather kiss Hojou than listen as somebody made that order to her. _Eww..._

The young woman walked into the club at a leisurely pace and found Kagome ranting her head off at Miroku while InuYasha watched on with a wide grin.

"...but it wasn't-"

"You moron!"

"He was-"

"Stop making excuses!"

"InuYasha did it!" Miroku finally blurted out.

Kagome froze, and blinked slowly.

And then again.

And once more, because she still hadn't registered what her friend had said. When she did, her voice was low and completely deceiving. "InuYasha... did it... InuYasha, you freakin' moron! You deserve a whack on the head for that!"- and she promptly delivered it.

"Ow, what the-"

"You're a looser, Inu- chan."

"Now that everything's settled as usual, it's almost seven. Kagome, please just make the drink. It's been posted for two hours and everyone's already seen it," Miroku pleaded as Sango came closer to watch the routine of the past five and a half years for discussing Kagome's bar work.

**C&M**

Setting to work after everyone got what they wanted, Kagome and Sango worked the bar, Yura and Tsuki working the field. The two fastest servers and the two fastest bartenders equaled the four best girls to do club work. Unparalleled and all working for him, Miroku thought as he watched them work as a team to set up the bar and waitressing booth.

Customers flooded in at seven and loud music blasted though the place dispersed by slow, melodic songs for those who loved to grind in the glass room above. It was a place for fun and games; it always would be.

At the bar, Kagome was moodily working her tail feathers off to serve orders. Sango was just helping because of what happened at the restaurant. Usually the girl was dancing on the floor or up on stage singing. _I wish I was dead, I wish I was dead...The next guy who orders a fuk-me-up_ _is going to have their brains 'uzi'ed out of them. _

"Hey, girlie! 1-900-FUK-MEUP now!" He said followed by a nasally laughter. She cringed and clenched her jaw to keep from 'fucking the looser's face up' as she thought so kindly toward the man.

"Your order's coming, sir, just like all the _other men_ who ordered one!" She shouted over her shoulder.

"Hey, miss," a soft male voice spoke up and Kagome couldn't help but turn toward the counter. "Can I get a 747 and a Caltech Cocktail?"

While he ordered, she stood gaping at the man sitting and leaning leisurely against the bar. _Dude, he's _fine "Sure thing.. sir," she replied dazedly still in awe. This man was gorgeous. Perfectly tan and dark black hair which tinted purple in the stream lights from above; he had the face of a god, with chiseled features- high cheekbones and everything else. She was glad she saw him and those beautiful blue green eyes of his. His laughter broke her staring.

"Find something you like, miss?" His asked with a sexy smile to back up the voice; he still managed to be so polite while implying something moderately dirty. _Not that I really mind... He is sekzeh with a sexzeeh plus a secsie and a side order of sexayeh along with_ _sezzi and... shekshinesh with an extra 'esh' at the end..._

"No. No, I didn't, sir." Her jaw was firm while she tried to look him in the eyes while not drooling. He only did that same smile and it nearly broke her heart at seeing guy as beautiful as her. "Your drinks will come shortly," and with that she walked farther down the counter, shouts of 'Give me a '57 Chevy ma'am!' 'I want an Amaretto Sour!' ' Irish Coffee over here!' 'Girl, B-52!' a slurred out 'Kamakazie rocks, so hand one over!' the classic 'Dry Martini!' and a few that got on her nerves: 'A Nude Slide Down the Mountain from the lovely woman dishing the drinks,' 'A Sloppy Blow Job works for me, babe,' and '007, dun nuh nuh- nuh nuh- nah!" from the slouched drunk guy in the corner.

"I'm sure you didn't... and I'm sure they will," the black-haired man whispered under his breath as he followed her figure with his eyes. They gleamed mysteriously as he thought in the darkened club. How was he going to get that girl to trust him after he had pulled a cheesy line like that? The boss would shoot him in the leg, heal him and then shove a marker down his throat for not doing his job properly.

Oh, how his boss loved markers.

And crayons. Those things were horrible; that waxiness included whole-heartedly.

**C&M**

In the same tall building, the long and dark-haired figure sat, resting his feet up on the marble desk. His eyes sparkled in mischief- if Izuchi didn't accomplish his goal he had assigned, all would still be fine. Plenty of other opportunities would arise. He smirked as he twisted the cap on the sharpie marker slowly, making the pen squeak and the sound echoing in the large room. One of the markers would just go down his throat, that was all, the figure thought maliciously. He twisted the sharpie cap once more and was thoroughly satisfied to hear the squeak resonate again.

Oh, it was always fun to torture people, he thought as he spun around to look out the large windows looking down into the red-light district. _It is _always_ fun..._ _I wonder what Kagura's doing on her night off..._ He pondered slightly before grinning.

Who knew?

* * *

**A/N:** Reviews are loved by all. Mah ha ha. Tell me if you like Ryuuza and my portrayal so far, any OOC-ness, and other stuff...

My bunny loves you all!


	4. III: Consequences for Slacking

**Chapter III:Consequences for Slacking **

"So what did you find? I expect it to have been good..."

The figure in the darkened room cast its red eyes on the figure standing awkwardly in the shadows. The young man pulled on the sleeve of his jacket, afraid to speak for the words weren't pleasant. He watched as the man behind the desk rose from his chair to saunter near his lackey.

"You will give me an answer whether it's good or not, understood?" He growled out, his eerie face and eyes intimidating his employee.

"Yes, sir," the man responded curtly.

"I will only ask one more time: what did you find?"

Was it suddenly hard to breathe or was something vile and rancid in the air? The man, Izuchi, swallowed loudly, obviously nervous rather than his normally cool and composed self. He glanced around the office; yes, it would be the perfect place for his boss to commit a homicide. _Dandy..._

"She, the girl... your 'cat,' was playing bartender and-"

"I know that she does bartending! Don't take me for a fool. Now tell me something that I _don't_ know!" He cut off the younger man.

In fear, Izuchi backed up a step bu it was noticed by the red-eyed man. How was he so scared of this older man? It wasn't normal. "Sorry-sorry... Well, there was nothing new. I followed her and her friend to that Ryuuza's-"

"Ryuuza... He didn't touch her, did he?" The older man hissed quietly.

"A..a... He gave her a-"

"A kiss? A blow job? A–a? A what?" He shouted, beginning to pace.

"A hug sir. Just a hug." Izuchi watched in morbid fascination as his boss had drastic mood-swings.

"Just a hug; just a hug," he repeated over and over. "No, no. He can't touch her at all. I want your gay friend..."

"Jakotsu."

"Yes, Jakotsu... I want him to kill off Ryuuza. And if I know how Jak is; don't let him touch the bastard without gloves- if he does. No, tell him to _not_ touch 'im, got it?"

"Yes, sir," the young man said stoically, his composure back in place.

"Fine, get out now." With that, 'the Boss' turned on his heel and strode back to his desk intent on getting more work done; ya know- the usual:

Intern Assassin resumེs...

Sniper gun shipments...

'Firing' those who jeopardized his company...

_It's always the same routine_, he thought as he listened to his lackey's fading footsteps.

**C&M**

"Get to work on that bomb, you moron! I want the inner-workings done by seven tonight and the casing had better be finished by two tomorrow." A gruff and dirty looking man stood next to a taller man in business apparel while he spent the time shouting out orders over all the noise.

The strict-looking man had on a pressed and black suit with a black dress shirt. His polished black shoes reflected the light from the skylights above, while his eyes held a strange glint to them. Around his head was a light blue bandana and was completely out of place with his ensemble.

As the workers continued, he shifted his eyes to scan the warehouse and what was laid out before him. "I will report this to my boss. He will know your employees have been slacking."

"Yo- you... You have a boss?" The dirtied man looked nervous.

"Yes. And my boss has a boss, I regret to say. But only my boss will know. This is a warning: hire others if you must because I could make the equipment quicker and simpler by my own hands alone." A glare was cast toward the shorter man.

"Yes, sir. I can follow those orders."

"See that you do or you won't be alive to carry out any other orders." Turning his back on the other man, he walked swiftly across the metal and wood rafter hanging precariously over the large factory workspace. When he was on the other side, in front of large steel door, he spun to face the quivering man a ways away. A glare was the last thing he gave the other man before pushing open the door and exiting.

"Okay! Get back to work! We've _all _got a deadline to meet!"

* * *

**A/N:** Filler chapter. Slight explanations only because of laziness. 

Review and the bunny will luv you even more!


	5. IV: Dreams Come True?

**Chapter IV: Dreams Come True?**

_It was too late. The swift and discreet sound of the switchblade being put away and the scuffle of the holster being shifted rang in her ears. There was no turning back. She had tried. She had almost succeeded. Now she was fumbling for the lock of the door and whimpering like a coward; the coward she _hadn't_ been raised to be._

_Her mother would have been worried if she was still alive, but no. Her mother was dead. Assassination, of course. What better way to get rid of the wife of a prominent government official? She mentally berated herself. How could she be thinking so pessimistically at a time like this._

_He was after her again._

_He wanted her again._

_The click of the gun's lock releasing set her spine on fire, and the shiver that passed made itself known prominently. 'Oh no, no, no,' she thought frantically, beginning to tug on the handle more and more. The gun in her other hand was at its last bullet and she didn't want to fire unless absolutely necessary. 'Dang it,' she thought in despair._

_When the hollow footsteps stopped just behind her, Kagome knew she had to turn around. Close fire wasn't the best thing for killing someone properly, but she had to take her chances. Steeling herself and taking a deep breath, she spun on her heel and in that instant, the hand which had been tugging on the door handle flicked to reveal a small retractable dagger from her sleeves. She growled when she swung her knife-occupied hand toward the man's unprotected side. Her other hand forced the gun out in front of her, aiming at his bare chest. _

_The young woman saw him stiffen slightly. Good; he was wary of her again. 'Just how it should be,' she thought menacingly. _

_But she was so busy within her thoughts that she did not feel the pressure on her wrist, the one with the retractable dagger. When he smirked, a pain shot through her right arm. He had a tight grip, that was for sure. Her breath hitched and she tried to pull away._

"_Come now, Kagome. Things aren't so bad," he purred out. That voice had always worked until she had realized his true nature. Another unwanted shiver passed through her._

_His gun was raised to her forehead. 'How wonderful,' she chastised herself. In order to get out of this mess, she had stressed her only option and that only option had a weakness which he knew. And he had used it to his advantage._

"_Damn you."_

"_Tsk, tsk, lover. Now get back in the bed."_

_Her eyes flashed with a cold anger, smothering all other emotions around them. She wouldn't be used! She wasn't a bed toy. She didn't want that. Rape wasn't what she wanted for her life!_

"_Take the dagger brace off, drop the gun, and get back in bed."_

_His words were _not_ to be taken lightly._

_She shuddered as the gun slowly slipped from her warm small hands to clatter to the floor. She hadn't even gotten the chance to release the clip. 'Damn it.' With one hand empty and limp, she stared dispassionately at her traitorous wrist. Why could she not feel his grip when he had caught her wrist? Nothing seemed right here, in this scenario..._

_When she made no move, the man locked his gun and slipped it into the holster. He pulled her closer so that he could undo the leather straps and slid the blade back into its hiding place. It clattered to the hardwood in a dark sound expressing distaste. She turned away from his scarlet gaze and prayed earnestly that he wouldn't do as he had said._

"_Go. Get back into bed." As an after-thought, he added, "And don't leave the bed either." He tugged on her wrist, which he still held captive, and twisted her so she stumbled toward the large silk covered bed._

"_Leave me alone!" She hissed loudly, without facing him. She hadn't moved after she regained equilibrium. _

_Before she knew what had happened, two arms had wrapped around her from behind and carried her squirming body over to the bed. She was held down by the man's own body weight and even though her mind knew what was coming, her body panicked with the emotion only ignited by anticipation and fear. _

_While she was held down he unlatched his belt holding various discreet weapons and tossed it to the floor beside the bed. He pulled his pants down and threw them across the room, soon doing the same with her clothes. They ripped easily and she shifted uncomfortably, making him grin in anticipation. _

'_Aw, man, now look at what I did,' she blushed and couldn't help but look at the results. Her blush began anew. 'No, no, no! I don't think these things about **evil people**!'_

"_I won't play this ridiculous game anymore!" She shouted before his lips came crashing down on hers in a bruising kiss. The air was knocked out of her lungs and her body convulsed in distaste._

_Suddenly she could breathe again. The man shifted into an all too familiar pose. His voice haunted her mind's corridors. _

"_But I thought you loved the game of Cat and Mouse, Kagome?"_

_He pushed into her quickly and without warning; pain lanced up her spine and she arched, letting out a pitiful scream._

**C&M**

Kagome pushed up from the surface she had been lying on, screaming with a morbid whine and drenched in a cold sweat. No matter how many ways she tried, the memories wouldn't go away. That damned spider in the bathroom had brought the memories back up. _How could that tiny thing...? _

He was the hunter and she was the prey; and no matter how many jewels she stole, she knew that she could never become the hunter to right what had gone wrong in her past.When she took the time to look around, she realized that she was back in her penthouse on the large white curved sofa with a beige blanket pooled at her waist. She was no longer wearing her outfit from at the club but was in one of her baggy nightshirts and that made her blush. Who could have changed her?

The questions running through her mind were answered when she heard the sounds of explosions coming from the part of her living room where another sofa and the television was set up. In the dim lighting of the room, she saw the figure of InuYasha watching her with his bright amber eyes. She smiled wanly and lifted up her left arm in greeting. He replied in silent like.

"What happened, Inu-chan?"

"Why were you screaming?"

He didn't answer her question.

"First, what happened to me?" Kagome added a glare to get her point across.

"You fainted, plain and simple. You had been pouring lime juice into a drink mixing cup and then suddenly you passed out. You were mumbling about spiders and ocean eyes..." He trailed off, sounding uncertain.

_Ocean eyes? Who was-? _Then she stopped herself. The cocky customer at the bar had- what she thought- were 'ocean coloured eyes'. _And spiders? The spider from the bathroom. And _**him. **

"Thank you, InuYasha," she whispered tentatively.

"Now can you tell me why I'm missing Escaflowne because of your screaming? You wake up, and you look like you took a midnight swim, screaming and-"

A large sofa pillow hit the silver haired man on the forehead, toppling him over.

"Hey! Don't do that! Besides, there are people below who like their quiet at around 1:30 in the morning." His 'hmph' was slightly endearing. He cared about her, and he cared about the people who couldn't pay for a home as good as hers... Oh, and that they all needed plenty of sleep.

"Fine. It was... it was ju-just that dream again. The one I told you was a recurring memory that I couldn't repress... That's all it was."

InuYasha had heard the trembling as he watched her turn away from his vision. Kagome couldn't look at him. It was another of the side effects of that dream or whatever she had gotten into as a little girl. He knew he could not do a thing until she trusted him.

And that would be quite a long way off since he knew she didn't even trust herself.

Memories did bad things to peoples' sanity, after all.

"You know I won't pry. When you are okay, in the future, you know I'll still be alive to hear you cry. And I'll be here to cry on too, FYI." Wide eyes looked up into his and he gave a small smile, a twinkle of emotion in his eyes. "Why don't you go back to your bedroom and get a real bed-night's rest. You worked hard..."

She nodded but still did not say a word. Standing and folding the large sofa blanket was a habit and so she slipped it back into place on the sofa's decor before turning away to her bedroom and began her slow pace. His voice stopped her.

"You did great tonight, despite all of the annoying guys there."

Kagome smiled slightly and turned back to continue her small journey. Finally arriving, she plopped down onto her queen-sized bed and fell into a more restful slumber.

**C&M**

Awaking to blinding white midday sunlight through glass was not her favourite past-time, and so she rolled away and dragged the covers over her head. Suddenly a loud buzzing rang through the room and hit her ear nerves, making her wince in displeasure. Kagome slapped her hand down and sighed contentedly when the noise halted. Eyelids thought to be glued shut opened slowly and looked at the wall with one of her dressers against it.

_Those handles look quite lovely. I should get all of the house handles in that same style..._

The young woman stretched and stood up from her bed, ready to start her usual morning routine even though it was the last thing she really planned to do.

When she came out of the bathroom fully dressed and in the process of drying her hair, her doorbell rang. Slightly startled, she swung her head in the direction of the rest of her penthouse, curious as to who would be here this early. She trotted over to the front door and pulled it open to reveal a boy not but two inches taller than her with dark brown eyes and blackish-brown hair pulled back at the base of his neck.

"Kohaku!"

Before any other words were spoken, he dragged the young woman into an embrace. "Hey, Kagome," he breathed onto her neck. "I heard Sango and InuYasha talking about last night at the club..."

She smiled from behind him. He was always so caring, despite his attitude of innocence. And he was her best friend; _Sorry Sango, he came first..._ "Thanks Kohaku, but you know I'm fine."

"Yes you are," he whispered huskily into her ear and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck.

"Oh my gosh! That was so cheesy!" Kagome laughed buoyantly.

"That's what I'm here for. Ya know... you scared Sango. She passed out too, worried sick when you just hit the floor "with a thud"."

Eyes cast down toward the beautiful white carpet in shame. "Did you hear InuYasha?" She whispered.

"Dreams..."

Kagome bobbed her head up and down slowly. "When he-"

The girl in his arms choked on her words and he patted and rubbed her back to calm her down. "That night, again. You know he won't come after you again, right? He's out of your life."

"That's just it, Kohaku!" She spoke urgently, pulling away from him. "He's _not_ out of my life! And I know he's after me still; I can feel it. I... Well... it's the connection we share. It can't be help–"

"Don't say it can't be helped, damn it! And don't talk about that stupid connection! You don't have one with _him_... If anything, you have a connection with _me_!" Kohaku turned his eyes away, unable and unwilling to look his friend in the eyes.

"Kohaku-!"

"So what if I'm being over-dramatic. I've been here to help you and keep you protected," the young man hissed. "I've given you things to keep you safe all the while you stealing jewels. Even if you won't come to me, I know that he's not going to come after you. _Don't_ push me away anymore. I'm here. I'm here, Kagome..."

"But you just don-"

"Oh, come _off_ it! You still think you're protecting me by not letting me know everything. I may know more than the others but I don't know everything that I should... and it's making me sick." His eyes pierced her and froze her to the spot with the malice that shone in their depths. No, that malice was not directed at her, but it still hurt to see it. Her Kohaku had always been a devious but cheerful young man with the brains to conquer the world.

"You're not upset that you weren't first, right...?"

"The only thing that matters is that I have you at all. I don't care if I wasn't first, because I actually have you, all of you, and not just physically.

"But I know you don't like me that way anymore, so of course there's no harm done. Since I _am_ your best friend **forever and ever**, right?" Kohaku's tone became sly.

"Eh, heh. Yes, Kohaku. Are you sure you're all right?" The tense atmosphere had settled back into its peaceful state from before.

"The question is: are you all right, Kagome?" He shot back.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Fine, then I'll be on my way. I have to go salvage some metal scraps. Do you like lazers, Kagome?" He had separated greatly, moving toward the front door with her still standing in place and sinking into the plush carpet.

"Not really, but I could use one. You know I like to collect things." The twinkle in her eyes told him of what she was speaking.

"Yeah. Like guys- ex boyfriends, enemies, and suitors..."

"_Get out!_"

His laughter rang through the hallways as the young man shut the penthouse front door. Kagome couldn't help but smile. He was right, after all.

**C&M**

It was almost six in the evening when Kagome sat down at the cool wooden desk, sighing weakly. Getting down to business was the most important thing at the moment. She pulled open the right-side drawer and slipped a stack of folders and papers out. Opening the cover of the top-most folder, a slight gasp escaped her lips. From what her eyes scanned, there were tons of places listed, varying from prominent restaurants to old crumbling buildings. Before she read anymore, she flipped the page.

Names of Japan's government officials were listed. She flipped past three pages. Names of Germany's prominent law officials. Another two pages. Names of members of the French Military and Church priests. A back section of the folder suddenly un-clipped and slipped into her lap. Her eyes opened wide as she stared blankly at the kanji.

The United States Ambassadors...

When Kagome flipped the pages back towards the front, she put the excess folder aside. Her eyes scanned the first page once more. There were buildings and addresses along with dates. The date from four days ago- when she had retrieved the Hope Diamond and the Star of the East- was listed. It came as no surprise to see the warehouse's address listed as well, the kanji typed plainly, almost as if it was unwanted on the page.

"This is one big joke," she whispered.

She reorganized the papers and closed the first folder. All of the others, she saw had sloppy kanji scribbled out names of countries, but the first caught her attention. 'Transgressions and Debtors.'

The cover flap was peeled back cautiously, afraid of transgressions listed. Maybe assassinations? Robbing liquor stores? Gang shoot-outs? Red-light district whore murdered in cold blood?

Her face...

"My face..." Her young features were staring up at her from a photograph she recognized well. She was smiling jovially, one of her ex-boyfriends clinging to her form. Kagome shuddered.

Why was she in this folder? And all of her vital statistics? Oh, _there_ was her list of 'transgressions'...

Stealing the heart of man?

Slaughtering souls?

This was ridiculous! She only stole jewels, not 'the heart of man,' and when had she even slaughtered a **human's body**?

_Why is all of this stuff listed? And-_ Kagome paused in her thinking. There was a list of all men she had ever known on a better-than-acquaintances level. Miroku was listed. Kohaku-_ Oh, God, no!- _was listed. Sesshoumaru and InuYasha, and Ryuuza were listed.

_This can't be happening!_

Another name caught her eye: Akitoki Hojou. The date next to his name was even more of a grounder. Why that date? Oh, she knew why. It was the date Hojou had been killed and found dead in an alley. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. This was a hit list; it was a hit list of all of the young men she had ever come to know. _It was my fault. Because I met _him, _Hojou was killed..._

She knew it was _him._ She knew it was _him _because _he _was the only other one who had access to that picture. That picture had been meant only for the two of them, and now it was being passed around by high-ranking illegal businessmen; apparently killers.

More tears splattered the denim of her flare jeans. _This is a _joke! _It can't be possible!_ Kagome slammed the papers down and stood up abruptly, knocking the chair over with an immeasurable force. She turned away and ran to find her phone, any phone. She had to warn Kohaku when she went after these people. Finding out what was going on would be necessary. And she needed to warn her male friends to be wary of strangers and keeping up alarm systems of some kind. _I'll ask Kohaku, he'll do that to protect everyone. _

_Eh,_ added wryly._ Sesshoumaru doesn't need protecting. He doesn't even die after three deep knife wounds and seven bullets to the chest...No one can get rid of him..._

With that last thought, she dialed.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Good chapter. Moo if you're happy I posted.

FYI, Akitoki is the last name of the ancestor of the present-time Hojou of the anime. At least that's what the website said (since Hojou's sir name isn't listed anywhere. _Dang it. _


End file.
